Descriptions

Vocalizations of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis) in west Hong Kong waters were described from 12 recordings in 2010. A broadband hydrophone system recorded sounds. Vocalizations were characterized as broadband click trains, burst pulses, and narrowband frequency modulated sounds, including whistles generally similar to those of some other delphinid cetaceans. A comparison of results to previous humpback dolphin sound descriptions for Moreton Bay, Australia found broad similarities except for the apparent absence of “quacks” and “grunts” in the present study, which are of low frequency and thus were possibly masked by anthropogenic and other low frequency noise in the Hong Kong habitat.